Hi again! This is an AU of my other fic, Reunited. There are two big differences:
In this world, Edythe never existed, and
Something happened in the history of the world—really far back—that completely changed the course of history. Try and guess what it is!
There are other changes, too, but they're smaller.
Kierra stepped through the large double doors, into the throne room. Beside her, her sister Gwendolyn walked, silent as a shadow. The two girls observed the room around them, their eyes falling finally on the three men who stood at the other end of the room.
Aro smiled brightly, stepping forward. "Hello, girls! Shouldn't you be in your rooms at this time of the day?"
Kierra narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't play games, Daddy. Why have we heard that you plan to attack the Cullens?"
The smile faded. "Darling Kierra, they have broken the law. An immortal child! You of all people should know the consequences of that."
Gwendolyn winced beside her, and Kierra felt her anger rising. "Because we're not meant to exist. Because you should have killed us when you found us. Because if anyone found out about us, they would tear us apart or die trying. Because we, too, are abominations."
Aro raised his hands to try and calm her down. "Kierra, you know the rules-"
"Why are we the exception?" she asked coolly. "Why did you allow us to live when you didn't even know us, but now you are preparing to kill the family of the man you once called a friend?"
He sighed. "That is not the only law that the Cullens have broken, Kierra. They revealed our existence to a human-"
"Who is now a vampire."
"-and they are allied with the Children of the Moon, our mortal enemies."
Kierra rolled her eyes. "Right. And how do you know this?"
"We have a witness–she came here from Alaska."
"May I speak to her?"
Aro hesitated. "I don't know..."
She glared at him. "How about now?" Focusing, she applied their disguises. Aro visibly relaxed.
"All right, then," he decided. "But only if you take Jane with you."
Kierra nodded and turned away, walking out the door and down the hallway with her sister beside her and Jane behind. When she noticed that, Kierra stopped and turned around.
"Jane, what have I said about this?"
"It is only right that, as the children of Aro and effectively the princesses of Volterra, you would walk ahead of me."
Gwendolyn rolled her eyes at the other vampire, before hopping forward and grabbing Jane's hand. Jane looked around as if to make sure that nobody was watching, before letting a smile spread across her face as she wrapped her arms around the twins.
"You walk beside us. You are our friend, not some servant," Kierra informed her–again. Jane laughed.
"Come on, let's talk to Irina. If that was actually what you wanted, anyway."
"It was–there's something that just doesn't add up. How could the Cullens be allied with werewolves? It doesn't make any sense. If it was a full moon when she saw them, the wolf would have been out of control and nothing would have been able to reason with it. If it wasn't a full moon, then the witness would not have been able to tell that this was more than just a human."
Jane nodded once. "You're correct, of course, but what else could it be? Aro would not throw around baseless accusations."
"No," Kierra muttered. "He'd make sure they were either true, or could be reasonably explained as a misunderstanding."
Jane didn't answer that. Gwendolyn tugged on Jane's arm, making her glance at her. When she did, Gwendolyn gestured at herself before turning into a giant wolf. Jane blinked, caught off guard.
"You think it's some sort of spirit?"
Gwendolyn hesitated and shook her head. Kierra, could you tell her?
"We're guessing that it's a shapeshifter," Kierra explained. "There are many kinds of shapeshifter in the world, and the Children of the Moon are just one. There are other kinds, too, with different limitations and abilities."
"Okay," Jane replied. "We're here." Gwendolyn shifted back into a vampire. Kierra nodded and made sure their disguises were firmly in place before she opened the door.
Gwendolyn watched the vampire inside the room with some curiosity. Her eyes were golden–like hers and Kierra's had been before Aro found them. That means she's vegetarian, but the only vegetarian vampires in the world are either in the Cullen coven, or the Denali one. Aro said she came here from Alaska, but I know the Denalis and the Cullens are good friends, so what is she doing here?
"Irina," Jane said coolly. "This is Seraphina and Laurelia, friends of Aro's. They would like to ask you some questions. I will be here the whole time. You may not ask them anything, and you must give them the same answers you gave Aro. Do you understand?"
Irina nodded once. "Yes, of course," she replied. She was obviously terrified of Jane, but then, what sane person wouldn't be if they didn't truly know her? Other than Isabella Cullen, anyway.
It is unfair, how frightened people are of her, Kierra thought through their telepathic link. She didn't choose her gift.
As far as they know, though, she chooses to use it.
Yes, which is untrue, and you know it.
Should you not be interrogating our witness?
Good deflection. Kierra–under the guise of Seraphina–turned back to the other vampire. "Can you tell me a little about the wolf you saw?"
Irina nodded. "Of course. It was huge–at least the size of a horse–but, other than that, it looked almost like a normal wolf. It was covered in red-brown fur. When I saw Isabella treating it and the immortal child like equals—worse, like friends—" She let a growl escape. "You see, wolves like that thing killed my mate."
That explained it. When a vampire's mate died, they would usually be entirely occupied with one of two things: revenge or escape. Just like Uncle Marcus after...
Gwendolyn turned her attention back to Irina. Ask her what time of day it was.
Kierra relayed the question, asking a few of her own. When they were both satisfied, they turned and went back to the throne room with Jane. Kierra threw open the doors and glided inside, dropping their disguises to reveal their true appearances.
"You were wrong, Daddy," she said in that icy voice that she reserved for him now. "That is no werewolf. It is a shapeshifter. They are two very different things, and I would have thought that you would know that."
Gwendolyn didn't know how her sister spoke to him like that. She herself was terrified of Aro. Oh, she didn't doubt that he loved them in some way, but she also knew that that wouldn't stop him if they were no longer useful to him. And calling him daddy like that...he was the only father figure they had known for a very long time, so she had welcomed his affection in the beginning, but now...now she was no more than a prisoner in this castle, like Sulpicia. Didyme had been far more of a mother to her than Sulpicia, but now she was gone.
Aro raised his hands as if to placate Kierra, but she wouldn't hear of it.
"No! Why do you grasp at straws? Everyone here in this room knows your true motive, so just say it—you're jealous of Carlisle Cullen. There, I said it. You are jealous because his coven has gifts you could only dream of. You are jealous because he has found a way to be a good person, but you're too power-hungry and stubborn to try that way for yourself, because it would mean admitting that he was right and you were wrong. Most of all, you are jealous because he inspires loyalty simply by existing and being who he is, whereas you must force loyalty on people using Chelsea's gift, and even then it isn't enough for you. It will never be enough for you!"
Nobody spoke for a very long time. Jane left the room quietly, obviously not wanting to be a part of this. Chelsea's eyes were fixed on the floor, and Renata fluttered nervously behind Aro, who was frozen, staring at Kierra blankly. Caius's face was fixed in a glare as he, too, watched her, and Marcus ignored everything like he usually did since Didyme died. Gwendolyn shrank backwards, every part of her wanting to get out of that place. That seemed to jolt Marcus out of his apathy briefly.
"Gwendolyn," he said very quietly. "It's okay. Come here."
She shook her head, pressing her body against the wall. Aro blinked finally, apparently deciding to ignore Kierra's outburst.
"We will begin preparations to march on the Cullens immediately," he said. "While we are gone, Corin will stay behind to watch you two-"
Gwendolyn blinked once in confusion, which quickly turned to anger. What? He's leaving us behind?!
"WHAT?!" Kierra shouted. "You can't just leave us here! Also, why Corin? Why not Sulpicia or Athenodora?"
For the first time, a flicker of anger crossed Aro's face. "They will be coming with us. Refer to your mother by her proper title-"
"SHE IS NOT OUR MOTHER!" Kierra shouted. "And you are not and never have been our father!" And on that note, she whirled around and left, slamming the door behind her.
AN
Do you like it? Review if you think you know what changed between this and Reunited. Thanks!